Power Ranking All the New BCS Starting QBs Performances from Week 1

The long-awaited arrival of Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston marked an electrifying end to an enormous weekend for new starting quarterbacks. 

FSU's redshirt freshman stole the show by notching five total touchdowns in a Monday night win over Pitt, but a number of other field generals put together strong performances in Week 1 as well.

Notre Dame and Maryland each benefited from the return of two former starters under center.

Meanwhile two new Big 12 Conference signal-callers lit up scoreboards and stuffed stat sheets in opening weekend victories, but did they do enough to challenge Winston for the top spot?

Note: Given the nature of the quarterback position, wins and losses are weighted heavily in the power ranking. Favor is also given to players who faced more difficult opponents.

Incomplete: Cody Kessler and Max Wittek, USC

USC survived in Week 1 while playing musical quarterbacks with Cody Kessler and Max Wittek.

Both are still vying to replace Matt Barkley under center and neither was able to gain separation in a lackluster 30-13 win over Hawaii.

Kessler took the majority of the snaps and finished 10-of-19 passing for 95 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and also took a sack in the end zone for a safety. Wittek finished 5-of-10 for 77 yards.

Given USC's offensive weapons, namely receivers Marquise Lee and Nelson Agholor, the Trojans' offensive output should be much greater.

Incomplete: Tre Roberson and Nate Sudfeld, Indiana

Indiana annihilated Indiana State 73-35 with Tre Roberson as the first quarterback out of the gates.

Roberson played just one quarter, throwing two touchdowns before leaving with bruised ribs. 

Sudfeld came in next and tossed four touchdown passes and 219 yards, effectively fueling the quarterback controversy.

Afterward Randy Beard of the Evansville Courier & Press reported that there still isn't a clear cut winner between the Hoosier quarterbacks and quoted Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson saying, "We may need them all."

24: Rob Henry, Purdue

Rob Henry's debut and Purdue's 2013 opener were one in the same: not good.

The Boilermakers were smashed by Cincinnati 42-7 and Henry stumbled out of the gates as well.

The senior did notch one rushing touchdown but struggled through the air, as he finished just 18-for-35 for 161 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

It may be a long year in West Lafayette, Ind.

23. Drew Allen, Syracuse

Senior Drew Allen was out-dueled by Penn State freshman Christian Hackenberg in his starting debut.

Syracuse was edged by PSU 23-17 as Allen's struggles made for a rough day for the Orange offense.

Allen was just 16-of-37 passing for 189 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions.

Syracuse fans are surely missing Ryan Nassib already.

22. Tom Savage, Pitt

After one drive, former Rutgers and new Pitt quarterback Tom Savage was off to an excellent start.

He capped off a nine-play, 80-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown pass and the Panthers jumped out to a 7-0 lead in their first ACC contest.

However, he was soon out-dueled by Florida State redshirt freshman Jameis Winston. 

Savage's night didn't end well, as he didn't find the end zone the rest of the night and finished 15-for-28 for 201 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Pitt was blasted by FSU, 41-13.

21. Connor Halliday, Washington State

Connor Halliday torched the Auburn defense for 344 yards through the air in his 2013 debut for Washington State.

However, mistakes were his personal downfall and ultimately the downfall of the Cougars.

The junior tossed three interceptions, including one in the end zone in the final five minutes of the game.

If it wasn't for Halliday's mistakes, WSU would have beaten Auburn.

20. Jake Rudock, Iowa

It has been a rough past few seasons for Iowa and it doesn't look like things will improve in 2013.

Northern Illinois edged Iowa thanks to a field goal in the waning seconds that was set up by an interception thrown by Jake Rudock.

The sophomore had a solid debut brewing, as he had tallied 256 yards and one touchdown, but his second interception sunk the Hawkeyes.

If not for that mistake, Iowa would have likely started the season off on the right foot.

19. Jake Waters, Kansas State

Jake Waters joined Kansas State in the offseason after being named the NJCAA Player of the Year at Iowa Western Community College.

It looked as though Waters was going to lead K-State to a victory in his FBS debut, but the night took a turn in the other direction in the fourth quarter.

North Dakota State built a late rally, partially thanks to an interception thrown by Waters, and shocked the Wildcats in a 24-21 upset.

Waters added another pick on a desperation toss to end the game and finished 21-of-29 for 280 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

18. Jared Goff, California

Jared Goff became the first true freshman to ever start a season opener at quarterback for California and put in a remarkable performance.

The Kentfield, Calif. native let it fly all night against Northwestern, as he finished 38-of-63 for 445 yards and two touchdowns.

However, Goff also had three of his passes picked off, including two off deflections, which were both returned for touchdowns.

Both of those touchdowns came in the second half, which heavily contributed to Northwestern's 44-30 victory.

The unfortunate interceptions and negative result soured an otherwise impressive debut for Goff. 

17. Austyn Carta-Samuels, Vanderbilt

Austyn Carta-Samuels was nearly the hero in his starting debut for Vanderbilt.

The senior linked up with Steven Scheu for a touchdown to give the Commodores a 35-32 lead with just 1:30 remaining in the game.

However, Ole Miss running back Jeff Scott dashed 75 yards to the end zone less than 30 seconds later to give the Rebels a 39-35 victory.

On the night, Carta-Samuels threw for 300 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The only real sour note for the first-time starter was the mark in the loss column.

16. David Watford, Virginia

David Watford wasn't particularly impressive in his debut for Virginia.

However the sophomore did just enough to help guide UVA to a 19-16 victory over a strong defensive team in BYU.

The Hampton, Va. native finished with just 114 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Watford will have to increase his production once ACC play begins.

15. Pete Thomas, NC State

Brandon Mitchell was declared the Week 1 starter for North Carolina State and was off to a strong start before breaking a bone in his foot midway through the first quarter.

After his injury, Pete Thomas assumed the starting role and guided the Wolfpack to a 40-14 victory, throwing for 212 yards in the process.

The Colorado State transfer didn't notch a touchdown and had one interception.

Much like the situation with Watford, it will be interesting to see how Thomas' production translates to ACC play.

The Wolfpack will take on Clemson Sept. 19.

14. Anthony Boone, Duke

As far as starting debuts go, they don't come much cleaner than the performance of Anthony Boone.

The junior finished 16-of-20 for 176 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Duke relied heavily on the run, compiling 257 yards on the ground en route to a dominant 45-0 victory over NC Central.

Like many of the signal-callers making a Week 1 debut, the pressure will ratchet up as the season goes along.

13. Nick Marshall, Auburn

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn kept it simple for Nick Marshall in his starting debut.

Marshall was just 10-of-19 passing for 99 yards as the Tigers relied on a strong ground game to beat Washington State, 31-24.

Running backs Tre Mason and Corey Grant led the way, combining for 219 yards rushing and three total touchdowns, including a 99-yard kickoff return by Mason.

As Marshall becomes more comfortable in the offense, his responsibilities will likely increase.

12. Paul Millard, West Virginia

Paul Millard claimed West Virginia's starting quarterback position in an unimpressive 24-17 win over William & Mary.

The day Millard became the starter was also the day in which Dana Holgorsen's Air Raid offense turned into a Ground Raid.

The Mountaineers ran the ball 44 times compared to 27 passes, as Houston transfer Charles Sims led the way with a big day on the ground.

Millard finished 19-of-25 for 237 yards and hooked up with junior college transfer Ronald Carswell on a 69-yard touchdown strike. While he didn't throw an interception, Millard did have one fumble which led to a W&M field goal.

The junior's true mettle will be tested next week when WVU travels to Oklahoma.

11. B.J. Denker, Arizona

B.J. Denker did a solid job running the Rich Rodriguez zone-read offense in his first start for Arizona.

Denker was 9-of-13 passing for 87 yards and a touchdown. He also ran 13 times for 71 yards and a touchdown.

It wasn't a flashy debut, but it was efficient. 

More pressure will be taken off Denker once star running back Ka'Deem Carey returns to the Wildcat offense.

10. Christian Hackenberg, Penn State

The highly-anticipated debut of Penn State freshman Christian Hackenberg came and passed with a victory, but little glamour.

The former composite 5-star was far from perfect, as he finished 22-of-31 for 278 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

However, the freshman was effective and efficient enough for Penn State to pick up a 23-17 win.

PSU will have some difficult seasons ahead with limited scholarships, but Hackenberg appears to be up for the task in front of him.

9. Vad Lee, Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech's season opener and Vad Lee's debut couldn't have gone much better.

The Yellow Jackets destroyed Elon 70-0 behind Lee and a committee of runners.

In addition to 49 rushing yards and one touchdown, the sophomore threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns.

After one week, Lee is already doing an excellent job at helping GT fans forget about Tevin Washington.

8. Trevor Knight, Oklahoma

Trevor Knight's strengths were apparent in his debut for Oklahoma.

The athletic freshman ran for 101 yards, while throwing for 86 and three touchdowns.

A stark contrast from the pro-style Landry Jones, the Sooners may be going through a bit of an identity change with Knight at the helm.

Test No. 1 for the freshman will come next week against Big 12 foe West Virginia.

7. Justin Worley, Tennessee

The Butch Jones era at Tennessee was off to a successful start with junior Justin Worley under center.

The Rock Hill, S.C. native was extremely efficient, as he finished 11-of-14 passing for 104 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions, while also adding 21 yards on the ground.

UT relied heavily on the running of Rajion Neal, just as it will throughout the 2013 season.

If Worley can keep up the clean, efficient play, Tennessee should be back to bowl eligibility.

6. Brandon Allen, Arkansas

In a similar fashion to Worley, Jones and Tennessee, Brandon Allen, new head coach Bret Bielema and Arkansas were off to an excellent start in 2013.

The Razorbacks took down a good UL-Lafayette team 34-14 behind a strong running game and an excellent performance from Allen.

The sophomore tallied 230 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, providing a great balance to the Hogs' running backs Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins, who combined for 282 yards.

Arkansas still has its work cut out for it with a difficult SEC slate, but bowl eligibility is certainly within reach after a 4-8 slump last season.

5. Bryce Petty, Baylor

Under new quarterback Bryce Petty, the high-powered Baylor offense picked up where it left off last season under Nick Florence and the season before under Robert Griffin III.

Petty was 19-of-24 for 312 yards and two touchdowns, as nine BU receivers had at least one reception.

The Bears embarrassed Wofford 69-3 and solidified themselves as a contender in the Big 12.

4. Tommy Rees, Notre Dame

Tommy Rees has plenty of starts under his belt, but lost his lead role to Everett Golson in 2012.

In a strange twist of fate, Rees is back at the helm after the offseason departure of Golson and didn't miss a beat in his renaissance.

Rees was 16-of-23 for 346 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. 

With Rees playing well, the Irish have a chance to earn another BCS bowl berth, even despite their daunting schedule. 

3. C.J. Brown, Maryland

C.J. Brown made an emphatic return to the field for Maryland after missing 2012 with a torn ACL suffered during fall practice.

Brown was fantastic through the air and on the ground as the Terrapins dominated Florida International, 43-10.

The senior finished 20-of-23 passing for 281 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He recorded a game-high 101 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

He also found a new favorite target in junior college transfer Deon Long, who caught nine passes for 110 yards and one touchdown.

2. Baker Mayfield, Texas Tech

There might not have been a better story in all of Week 1 than that of Texas Tech quarterback Baker Mayfield.

The Associated Press credited Mayfield as being the first walk-on true freshman to start a season opener for a BCS school, and he did so in exhilarating fashion.

The Austin, Texas native completed 43-of-60 passes for 413 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, out-dueling former Texas and current SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert. 

The Red Raiders cruised behind Mayfield to a 41-23 victory in Kliff Kingsbury's coaching debut.

1. Jameis Winston, Florida State

Fans had to wait the longest for the most anticipated quarterback debut of the 2013 season, but Florida State's Jameis Winston was worth the wait.

The redshirt freshman was phenomenal as the Seminoles demolished Pitt, 41-13 in the Panthers' ACC debut.

Winston was about as close to perfect as possible, completing 25-of-27 passes for 356 yards and four touchdowns. The Hueytown, Ala. native added 25 yards and a touchdown on the ground as well.

Also a star on the FSU baseball team, Winston played his way into the Heisman Trophy conversation after just one game.